Production: AS Level Project

Production: Set Photos

We filmed the intro for DROID the other day, here are a few photos showing the make up process.

Preparing: Writing a Screenplay

Approaching the screenplay was a lot easier once we had the idea for the movie, as all I had to do was put the ideas into what the visuals will look like. Writing it out also makes the eventual execution of the film so much easier, as we'll have a "guideline" of sorts to follow. We'll be shooting the film opening and short film at the same time and then splitting it, so the script is for the complete film. Attached is the script, at least what's done so far.

Source:
-Screenwriting.info. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.screenwriting.info/

Preparing: Color Psychology

Another detail we've discussed when planning the movie is the use of color in the film. The use of color psychology in film is a well known practice and normally ends up having a symbolic effect on viewers. The idea is that different colors have a different effect on the viewer, like black meaning death, red signifying blood, and so on.We plan on having our main character, Mac, have a very neutral color scheme, a lot of grays, whites, and blacks. This will express his somber attitude and lonely feeling in society. Another character, which will be detailed later on, will use brighter colors to indicate her bright and confident personality.

Source:
-The Psychology of Color. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2015, from http://www.moosepeterson.com/techtips/color.html

Preparing: Creating a Humanoid Robot Character.

Robots and film have gone hand in hand since, well, almost forever. Some of the first movies were based on the future and the inclusion of robots! The issue with this movies is always crafting a believable robot character, whether it be through the costumes, acting, or post production CGI. For our movie, we're going for a simple look for our robot character, drawing inspiration from various other films. Our robot is going to have a very simple, line based paint. His motions and expressions are going to be very robotic, and he won't have any dialogue to not only convey his loneliness in this world full of humans, but to focus on his expression.

Source:
TOTAL RECALL: BEST MOVIE ROBOTS. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2015, from http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_revenge_of_the_fallen/news/1828651/total_recall_best_movie_robots/

Preparing: Making An Effective Silent Film

Nowadays almost every film relies on dialogue to advance the plot or to keep it interesting. The art of silent film is almost extinct. Regardless, we've chosen to go against the norm and do a silent short film, we feel like telling a story through expressions and actions rather than words, while challenging, can be more effective. Michel Hazanavicius, director of 2011's The Artist, gave some tips on how to make an effective short film in this modern time in an interview with The Guardian.

On what makes a silent film resonate currently: "The format allows you so many things. The way it works, how the audience participates in the storytelling process, you put your own imagination in the movie. For every single person, that makes the movie very intimate, because there's so much of yourself [in it]. It's a great experience. It's a very different experience. It's a sensual experience."

He also states later on that "the less you do, the more the audience does" which makes the silent film and almost interactive medium as the audience does the filling in of the blanks. There is no dialogue so a lot is left up to the imagination, we provide the tools, the audience builds their own experience with the film.

Source:
-Levin, R. (2011, November 22). The Director of 'The Artist' on How to Make a Modern Silent Film. Retrieved March 6, 2015, from http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/11/the-director-of-the-artist-on-how-to-make-a-modern-silent-film/248878/

Preparing: The Composition

When beginning to script and plan out our opening, one of the most, if not the most, important aspect is that of scene composition, how everything will look in the scene. The planning for each scene is meticulous and our goal is to make sure every shot has meaning, whether it be subtle or something that grabs at the viewer and makes them pay attention. The article I found brings up tips on how to make a shot with the best possible composition:

-Simplicity:

An important visual guideline, the best way to make your shot stand out is by finding a way to give your subject of interest the most visual attention. A way to do this is to select a simple background that has nothing that would distract from the center of attention.

-Rule Of Thirds:

Divide the frame into thirds and that way you can decide where to place the subject and place them in the best possible position.

-Framing:

Frame the center of interest in such a way that they, again, are the point of most visual attention. Whether this means by using the area around them, or placed objects, whatever directs the attention of the viewer.

Source:

-Film composition. (n.d.). Retrieved March 6, 2015, from http://production.4filmmaking.com/cinematography7.html